Management Tips

Management Tips

Information on how beef producers incorporate BioPRYN® into their routines

Is BioPRYN right for my beef cattle operation?

For beef cattle producers, identifying open cows is a critical part of streamlining their herd reproductive program. Once cows have been identified as open, they can be entered into a synchronization program and rebred, turned out with the clean up bull, or culled. Every day that pregnancy detection is delayed also delays the speed at these options can happen, and leads to longer calving seasons.

BioPRYN is accurate, easy and convenient to use. Using BioPRYN in conjunction with a reproductive program also can improve pregnancy rate of a beef cattle herd.

Beef cattle producers that live in locations not routinely served by a veterinarian have found tremendous value in the test.

BioPRYN and synchronization protocols for embryo transfer and in vitro fertilization

Integrating pregnancy detection
One of the strongest aspects of BioPRYN is its ability to accurately identify open cows. Research has shown that the test is greater than 99 percent accurate when the assay identifies animals at least 28 days post breeding as open.

The BioPRYN report specifies one of four categories: open, pregnant, open recheck, pregnant/ recheck. If open, the cow should be managed for prompt rebreeding. If pregnant, it is recommended that the cow be rechecked 60-80 days post-breeding, only to confirm early embryonic death loss does not occur. BioPRYN pregnancy testing fits well within a seasonal schedule for working cattle that can quickly be integrated into the herd’s normal cow flow.

Other ways to incorporate BioPRYN into herd management

BioPRYN for feedlots

Feedlot managers can use BioPRYN to identify pregnancies in new arrival heifer groups. BioPRYN provides a quick-administer, less-expensive option, that can diagnose pregnancies earlier than palpation. BioPRYN use on feedlots allows pregnancies to be dealt with in a timely manner. In addition, using BioPRYN reduces the use of prostaglandin shots, saving money and carcass yield damages.

BioPRYN use in feedlots also can garner added value. A feeding operation for cull cows employs the BioPRYN test to identify pregnant females, which then enables the managers to sell or pasture the pregnant cows rather than raising them for slaughter.

Seedstock and registered herds find BioPRYN useful in determining early pregnancies. The test is affordable and safe at determining not only the pregnancy status, but the sire on cows that are artificially inseminated and then later turned out with a clean-up bull. Using the test prior to exposing females to the clean up bull, or shortly after (within 16 days), BioPRYN helps these breeders determine the sire of each calf.

Those operations employing the ET and IVF can use BioPRYN to check recipients quickly and determine if the embryo transfer results in a viable pregnacy. Open recipients can be recycled sooner, rather than losing money on late diagnosis of non-pregnancies.

BioPRYN for commercial cow/calf operations

Use of BioPRYN on large and small cow/calf operations has helped efficiency during breeding season and led to tighter calving seasons. Producers utilize BioPRYN on yearling heifers and cows around 28 days post-breeding to check for pregnancy after AI. A resynch protocol can then used prepare the cattle for AI again, or determine the number of clean up bulls needed for the heifers. Producers using the test have been able to advanced calving season earlier with each use.

BioPRYN helps determine those females not bred to calve during the set window so that they may be culled in a timely manner for a higher premium as late bred females. Producers also may appreciate top market open heifer prices on those that are not pregnant.

BioPRYN is easy to work into seasonal operations. Herdsmen can pull blood chute-side for the BioPRYN test while applying fly tags.